Ambulance Service Maintenance Garage Destroyed in Fire

A morning two-alarm fire destroyed the Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County's Wishard Ambulance Service maintenance facility, located at 4132 North Rural Street.

Indianapolis Fire Department crews arrived just after 10 o'clock and quickly called for a second alarm. At least 10 fire trucks, a half dozen support vehicles and more than 100 firefighters responded. No injuries have been reported.

The structure has served as the Wishard Ambulance maintenance facility since 2003. Three ambulances were removed from the building while three others were destroyed in the fire. The fire did not reduce the number of ambulances Wishard requires to respond to emergencies in Marion County.

Health and Hospital also used the maintenance facility to store medical supplies used by the Wishard ambulance service. The Marion County Health Department also stored non-emergency supplies in the building. Health and Hospital maintains insurance on the building and its contents.

Ambulance maintenance services will continue at the ambulance services' new facility located at 3930 Georgetown Road.

"We are grateful no one was injured and thank the Indianapolis Fire Department for its quick response and professionalism in a difficult situation taking place in sub zero conditions," said Matthew Gutwein, President and CEO for the Health and Hospital Corporation of Marion County.

Fire officials have eliminated arson as a potential cause. Investigators have not ruled out electricity as a potential cause.